Hydraulic pipe-cleaning device



Aug. 18, 1925. 1,549,761

7 P. A. FUCHS ET AL HYDRAULIC PIPE CLEANING- DEVICE Filed Aug. 16, 1922 mums SRAM Br Mina uzrs.

Patented Aug. 18, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HYDRAULIC PIPE-CLEANING DEVICE.

Application filed August 16, 1922. SeriaI NO. 582,324.

r 1 all whom z'tmay concern;

Be it known that we; PHILlP A. Focus and Finn) H. FUCHS, citizens of the United btates residing at Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Pipe-Cleaning Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in in hydraulic, sewer cleaning devices.

it is the object of this invention to provide a simplified hydraulic sewer cleaner arranged to utilize the reaction of water delivered from the device for the purpose of If) propelling it forwardly through a pipe. By

the means of a specially designed outlet fitting arranged todirect the discharged water rearwardly, the device hereinafter to be described is enabled to move forwardly through so the pipe without necessitating the use of the complicated propelling mechanism which has heretofore been used.

l t isa further object of this invention to prm'ide improved means for driving the 2.5 cutting blades hydraulically in such a manner that the water delivered from the blade impelling apparatus will be travelling substantially longitudinally of the device, whereby its reaction may be utilized most 30 effectively by a propelling device adapted to divert the water and expel it rearwardly.

Further objects of this invention are to provide a device which can be easily and cheaply manufactured; which can be easily 3.] operated: which will be provided with suitable hearings to enable it to run easily under hydraulic pressure; and in which the delivery rearwardly of material removed from clogged sewer will be greatly expedited. t in the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a device embodying this invention as it appears in. a pipe, the pipe being shown in longitudinal section.

4: Fig. 2 is an axial section upon an enlarged scale of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detailed view of a stator. Fig. 4 is a detailed view of a rotor. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the device shown in Fig. 2.- i

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of the rotor and associated parts.

55 Like parts are identified by the same refed 12' at the rear. A threaded sleeve 13,

provided intermediate of itsends with an internar annular flange 1 .1- adapted'to abut against the end of the cylindrical body IilQll'lbGl 10, serves as a coupling whereby a hose 9 for supplying water to the device can be connected therewith.

To the exterior of the cylinder 10 are bolted a pluralityof bars which are dis-- posed longitudinally of the device and are so arranged as to space the cylindrical body member 10' centrally within a pipe-of the size in which the device is adapted to operate. The arrangement is such as to leave room on all sides of the body 10 of the device for the free delivery rearwardly of material cut from the pipe 16.

'i'fhe statorlS is arranged to support all the moving parts of the device. The stator is shown in detail in Fig. 3. It comprises avy cylinder of non-corrosive metal provided in its outer surface with comparatively deep helical grooves 19 spaced apart by broad ribs 20. At threaded central bore 2? inlet portion 22. Concentric with the bore at the forward end of member18 is an integral sleeve 28 provided with an'annular ball race 2%. The member 18 may be secured wi hin the tubular body 10 of the device in any desired manner. The broad ribs 20 furnish such adequate support for member 18 from the interior wall of the body mem- 10 that it is oridinarily satisfactory to drive the member 18 to a fit within the tube 10. no securing means other than the wedging of the member 18 within the'tube being necessary.

Threaded within the bore 21 is a pipe 25 which extends forwardly frmnmember 18 and projects for some distance beyond the end of tube 10 "The intermediate portion 2 6 of this pipe is cylindrical and unthreaded, but its forward extremity 27 isthreaded to receive a ball race nut 28v and a combined lock nut and nozzle 29. The'ball race nut has a gradually curving funnel-shaped i bers in operative juxtaposition in the recess. The balls 34are disposed between members 31 and 32 in the usual manner.

The rotor 35 comprises an axially bored metal cylinder, the outer surface of which is provided with helical grooves 36 separated by the narrow ribs 37. The pitch of grooves 36 is slightly less in degree than that of grooves 19 in the stator 18 and is furthermore opposite in direction to the pitch of the stator grooves. At its rear end, the rotor is provided with a recess 38 within which the ball race members 39 and 40 are maintained by a flanged sleeve 41. The balls v42 are disposed within the bearings in the usual manner.

The peripheral groove 24L in the member 23which is integral with stator 18 conforms in shape to the exposed curving surface of the annular ball race member 40, whereby the ball race member is supported from the stator. Similarly, the annular groove 44 in a forwardly extending sleeve 45 integral with rotor 35 conforms to and is received within the bearing member 32, whereby the forward end of the rotor is supported from the bearing nut 28. Thus, it will be seen that the rotor'is supported for free rotation about the pipe 26 as an axis. The arrangement is such as topermit the ready assemblage and disassemblage of the device since each of the bearing units remains associat'et with the recessed member in which it is located unless it is purposely removed therefrom. The rotor 35 fits with sufiicient accuracy upon the intermediate portion 26 of pipe 25 to align the bearings so that when the nut 28 is turned up, the bearings will be tightened and put into condition for use without further manipulation. Any desired degree of bearing tightness may be readily maintained, for the lock nut 29 is adapted to secure the bearing member 28 against rot-ation.

The forward end 16 of the lock nut is tapered to comprise a nozzle and is provided with a centralopening 47 through which water supplied through pipe 25 can be ejected with great velocity.

The diameter of the body of rotor 35 is reduced at 48, forming a shoulder 49. The diameter is further reduced at 50 forming a second shoulder 51. Adjacent shoulder 49 the depth of grooves 36 becomes less as at 52. A cup-shaped annulus 53 its upon the reduced portion 4180f the rotor 35 and abutts against shoulder 49. This annulus receives from grooves 36 the water directed outwardly by the portions 52 of said grooves and directs the entire mass of water rear wardly around the tapered end 11 of the body member 10.

disk 55, centrally apertured to be receiyedupon the reduced portion 50 of the rotor and to abutt against shoulder 51, cari,549,7ei

ries a plurality of cutting blades 56 which are preferably curved as shown to facilitate their engagement with roots and other matter which may clog the pipe in which the device is working. The blades are preferably so disposed that their base portions 57 will lead their extremities 58 in the direction of rotation of the rotor. The leading edges 59 of the blades are sharpened to render them effective in cutting roots and the like. A plurality of screws (50 are used to removably secure he disk or plate to the rotor or to the cup-shapedmember 53 which directs the water rearwardly. The arrangement is such that the blade carrying disk is removable without even unturning either of the nuts 28 or 29, to the end that a replacement of the blades may be effected with great facility.

The apparatus having been placed in a pipe 16 to be cleaned and having been connected with a hose 9, water is supplied to the hose under high pressure. The water reaching the interior of the body 10 is divided into two parts. A central jet passes forwardly through pipe 25 and is ejected forci bly from the nozzle portion 46 at the extreme forward end of the device. This jet sluices away dirt and softens the mass of material which is clogging the sewer. Only a small percentage of the total quantity of water is delivered through the opening 47, but the quantity so delivered is sufficient to sluice dirt and small pebbles out of roots which may be stopping the sewer in order to render the roots the more readily accessible to the cutting knives 56.

By far the larger proportion of the water reaching the interior of the body 10 passes through the helical grooves 19 in the outer portion of the stator 18. As the device is viewed from the rear, these grooves are given a very great counter-clockwise pitch and the body of water passing the stator is thereby set into counter-clockwise rotation to an extent controlled by the pitch of grooves 19.

The grooves 36 of the rotor 35 are helically curved in a clockwise direction as viewed from the rear of the device, and are consequently opposite in pitch to grooves 19 of the stator.

As thewater emerges from the stator rotating comparatively in a counter-clockwise direction it encounters-the oppositely curved grooves of the 'rotoryand the momentum of the water is cxerted'against ribs 37 to produce counterclockwise rotation of the rotor. In addition, the-ribs 37 act like a screw to receive further rotative moment from the water passing through the adjacent grooves. The combined effect of the stator and the rotor is such as to producea maximum rotative effect in the rotor with a minimum stoppage of the water. It will be notedparticularly that the portion of the end thrust of the rotor upon the forward bearing re sulting from the impulsive action of the incoming water is very slight due to the fact that so large a proportion of the rotative eflort transmitted thereto is produced by the momentum of water which is already in rotation. The change in direction which is given to the water by the stator reduces the forward component of the velocity of the water as it enters the rotor and the l reduces to a considerable degree tae anial thrust incident to the actuation of the rotor. it will be obvious, however, that the axial thrust produced by the reaction of the water as it leavescup 53 is rather increased than decreased by this rrangenient, since the stator androtor device eliminates the necessity for any sudden change in direction of the water at this p1 nt and leaves the water traveling substantially in a cylindrical stream and without centrifugal effects from the cup. In other words, the elfect of the two sets of grooves in the stator and rotor, respectively, is such that their combined effect upon the water lcaves the direction of flow of the waterpractically unch nged, the effect of the rotor having neutralized the effect of the stator.

lhe rapid rotation of the rotor renders the knives 56 extremely eti'e 've in cutting all clogging material from path of the device. washed rearwardly by back wash of Water ejected from the jet portion 4-6. The inclination rearwardiy of each of the blades gives the blade a sawing action upon any obstacle encountered, thereby increasing its eilicacy.

The water delivered from therotor impinges upon the symmetrically curved inner surface of the cup and is caused to reverse its direction and flow rearwardly about the reduced end ll of the body 10 of the device. In so doing, it draws with it all the materials cut away by'the blades and washed away by the jet from in front of the device, and hurls such material rearwardly between the body 10 and the inner wall of pipe ldfrom which the body is spaced by guards 15. The reaction of the cylindrical jetof ater delivered rearwardly from the cup-shaped ineinberel is such as to propel the entire d vice forwardly as fast as the knives 56 and the central jet are able to operate in cutting away the debris in the pipe.

ilthough this propelling arrangement for utilizing the reaction of the cleansing water in driving the cleaning device forwardly is very simple, it is also very powerful and we attribute its efficacy in part to the stator and rotor arrangement with which it is associated and which supplies to it water which is not in violent rotation but is for the most part moving parallel to the course of the device within the pipe.

its such material is; cutaway, it is rip-en the bearings of the rotor than would be mud in the use or a screw of equal etfectiveness.

Obviously, the action of the water upon the stator and upon the rotor will tend to set the casing into rotation in a direction opposite to that of the rotor. This is prevented by the guide rods 15 which bear upon the inner wall of the pipe. As shown in Big. t3, these guide rods are of T-shape in cross-section and this fact increases their re sistance to the rotation of the casing. Als the hose S) resists any tendency of the casing to rotate.

Vi e claim:

1. A hydraulic pipe cleaning device including a casing, means at the rear end of the casing for attaching a hose thereto, a pipe at the forward end of the casing, a rotor journaled for non-frictional rotation about said pipe as an axis, a nozzle the forward end of the rotor with an edge exterior to the front end of said casing, and means for utilizing hydraulic pressure to drive the rotor.

2. It hydraulic pipe cleaning device including a cylindrical casing provided with means at its rear end for attaching a hose thereto, a pipe disposed centrally in said casing and providedat its forward end with a nozzle, means for spacing said'casing from a pipe within which it is operating and for securing it against rotation therein, a rotor operable about said pipe as an axis, a cup carried by said rotor with an edge directed rearwardly exterior to the forward extremity of the casing, and a set of blades carried by said rotor and operative to effect the dissolution of accumulations of material forwardly thereof. A

3. In a hydraulic pipe cleaning device, the combination with a casing, of a centrally apertured cylindrical stator provided with helical grooves in its exterior surface, said stator being secured within the casing, a pipe projecting forwardly from the central aperture of the stator, a rotor journaled concentrically with the pipe and provided with grooves adapted to receive water delivered from grooves of the stator, and means for utlllzing the reaction of water delivered from the rotor to propel the device forwarolly.

4. In a hydraulic pipe cleaning device, the combination with a casing of a stator provided with helical grooves adjacent the easing, a. rotor provided with oppositely pitched said pipe, a cup carried by helical grooves arranged to receive water delivered from the grooves of the stator, and a cup adapted to receive water from the grooves of the rotor and including an annular portion with outwardly and rearwardly curving surfaces terminating in a rearwardly directed rim adapted to deliver said water rearwardly exterior of the casing, whereby to propel such device forwardly through the reaction of said water upon said cup.

5. In a. device of the character described, the combination with a body member provided with a support, of a rotor mounted concentrically with said support, a bearing for said rotor adjacent one of its ends, a retaining member encircling said support and adapted to secure said rotor operatively with reference to said bearing, and a plate provided with an aperture sufficiently large to enable it to be passed over said support and said retaining member without requiring the removal of said retaining member, said plate being operatively fastened to said rotor and provided with cutting knives unitarily removable therewith.

6. A hydraulic pipe cleaning device including a casing, means Within the casing for setting water passing therethrough into rotation, a rotor adapted to be acted upon and set into rotation by the rotating water, and a cup adapted to deliver rearwardly water discharged from the rotor, and com prising outwardly and rearwardly curving water-receiving surfaces terminating in an annular rearwardly directed rim, whereby the reaction of water turned rearwardly by said cup is adapted to propel said device forwardly.

7. In ahydraulic pipe cleaning device, thecombinati-on with a. casing, of stator adapted to cause water passing therethrough to rotate about the axis of the casing, a rotor disposed in the path of the rotating water and provided with means engageable by the water tending to impart an opposite rotation thereto whereby the rotative effect of the stator upon the water is neutralized, and means for delivering rearwardly the water discharged from the rotor whereby said casing is propelled forwardly by the reaction of the rearwardly delivered water.

8. In a hydraulic pipe cleaning device, a casing provided with means for attaching a hose thereto, a helically grooved stator dis posed within the casing and provided with a central aperture, a pipe projecting forwardly from said aperture, a bearing nut threaded upon said pipe, a rotor provided with helical grooves disposed oppositely to those of the stator, said rotor being journaled for rotation upon the stator and upon said bearing nut, a cup carried by the rotor and adapted to discharge water therefrom rearwardly and exterior to the casing, and a set of knives mounted for rotation with the rotor and arranged to act upon material encountered by the device.

9. In a hydraulic pipe cleaning device, an exposed rotor at the forward end thereof, means connected with said rotor and adapted to be acted upon by water for the actuation of said rotor, means adapted to be acted upon by water for the forward propulsion of the device, a set of curved knives comprising flat blades with sharpened leading margins, said knives being carried by the rotor with their forward extremities bent inwardly, and means for directing forwardly a jet of water between the ends 'of said knives.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination with a casing member, of a pipe fixed with reference to the casing memher and provided with a forward delivery port, a rotor exterior to said pipe and arranged to be acted upon by fluid passing through said casing member, and cutting tools carried by said rotor, said tools being adapted to act upon material loosened by fluid issuing from said port and said pipe being relatively fixed against rotation, whereby the material issuing from said port will be unaffected by centrifugal action.

11. In a device of the character described, the combination with a casing, of a head for said casing including a relatively small portarranged to direct fluid, a relatively large port arranged to direct fluid rearwardly and externally of said casing, a rotor adapted to be acted upon by fluid delivered to one of said ports, and a set of helical surfaces adapted to act upon fluid acting upon said rotor in a direction substantially to neutralize the centrifugal effect of said rotor upon said fluid.

PHILIP A. FUCHS. FRED H. FUCHS. 

